Vehicle manufacturers have developed various types of in-vehicle and/or onboard computer processing systems that sometimes require software updates. In the past, such software updates required manual operation of in-vehicle computer processing systems by a trained technician, and utilizing specialized equipment, to enable software updates to be uploaded to various controllers in the vehicle. Further, such prior technology software update capabilities also required trained technicians and special equipment to confirm such updates were completed corrected. Even with the introduction of certain types of wireless software update capabilities, such technicians continued having to manually verify software update completion.
For example, to confirm a software update has been correctly delivered to a vehicle, vehicle controller, and/or component, a technician typically must utilize special terminal devices and authentication tokens to access vehicle computing system menus, to visually verify software versions and related information has been correctly uploaded to such controllers and/or components. In manufacturing operations, where a factory must update 100s or 1000s of vehicles parked in random locations about the factory, existing methods are time consuming and costly to audit software updates for all such vehicles. All vehicles must be updated to the most recent versions software before the vehicles are released to dealers and customers.
Presently, no communication methods exist to enable such vehicles to automatically verify and confirm software updates have been successfully uploaded to the vehicles, without manual intervention. One common method still utilized by manufacturing and assembly factories includes using labels and stickers that affixed to the vehicles as a visual cue indicating that a vehicle has been or needs to be updated. Others use other visual cues such as lifting a wiper blade or opening a vehicle door to indicate software update status.
More frequent software updates are often recommended and required in view of new advances in vehicle computer processing systems and related software, which are utilized in newer and more complex electric and hybrid electric vehicles. Consequently, the need for more automated software update, verification, and confirmation capabilities has become more pronounced.